
THE SABBATH.
5
of
the Sabbath. It therefore demands faith on the part of man
to accept it, while absolute want of faith, as did infidel France,
rejects it.
4.
GOD'S blessing means something. He told Abraham, " I
will bless thee,
. . and thou shalt be a blessing ;" and this
blessing extended to all the families of the earth. Gen. 12: 2, 3.
So God through Isaac blessed Jacob. and even though Isaac would
order otherwise, His testimony concerning that blessing was, " Yea,
and he shall be blessed." God's blessing always lifts the elan who
is blessed above all other men of the same class. It is just so as
regards days. The seventh day was exalted above the other days
of the week. It was blessed that it might be a blessing.
5.
" SANCTIFY
"
comes from the Hebrew word
qadesk,
pro-
nounced kawdash. It means to " separate," " set apart," or
" appoint." Thus we read in Joshua 20 : 7 that there was " ap-
pointed (margin, " sanctified ") certain cities for cities of refuge.
That is, these cities were separated from the other cities of Israel,
and "appointed," or " set apart," to a certain use. In 2 Kings
10 : 20 we read, " Jelin said,
Proclaim
[literally, "sanctify,"
margin] a solemn assembly for Baal." Joel 1 : 14 reads, " Sanc-
tify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly," etc. . That is, "appoint,"
or " set apart," a fast. See also Ex. 19 : 12, 23. The sanctifi-
cation of the seventh day; therefore; necessarily involved the sep-
arating of that day from others, the setting of it apart for a special
use, and proclaiming that it should be so observed.
6.
GOD sanctifies, or separates, a place or thing in the fullest sense
when He puts within it, His own presence or Spirit.. He makes
men holy by His indwelling presence. 1 Cor. 0 : 11, 19. He
made Mount Sinai holy by coming clown upon it. Ex. 19 : 10-12.
See also Josh. 5: 15; Ex. 3: 5, 6. So God blessed the seventh
clay by placing within it, in a special sense above other days, His
own presence. He who has Christ within, and understands His
rill
;
n i11 recognize Christ's presence in the Sabbath.
7.
GOD did not bless and sanctify the particular day on which
He rested. It is not the dead past which is sacred to God. It
was after the Creator had rested that He placed ills blessing and
sanctification upon the day, He therefore blessed and sanctified